Organizational Legal Structure Consultant

Organizational Legal Structure Consultant

July 2026

About DIAL

The Digital Impact Alliance (DIAL) is a global non-profit, reimagining how data and digital technology can fuel bold, inclusive solutions to society’s toughest challenges — from advancing equality to driving sustainable economic growth and addressing climate change. Founded in 2014 and headquartered in the United States, today we are based across four continents. Our team works at the intersection of research, policy, and practice, equipping leaders with the insights, tools, and resources they need to make informed, forward-thinking decisions that drive real, lasting benefits for people. 

One of DIAL’s core missions is to enable policymakers across Africa to gain the knowledge and resources to safely unlock data to create more value for governments, markets, and people. We do this by conducting industry-leading, actionable research; developing tools to make designing and deploying foundational digital public infrastructure more efficient and effective; and creating opportunities for peer knowledge exchange and learning.

After a decade of broad-based work promoting a global vision of open, modular building blocks for government tech stacks, DIAL has sharpened its focus on the next frontier of digital public infrastructure: fostering healthy data ecosystems which broaden the value of data insights to support innovation, public service delivery, and individual empowerment. 

This narrowing of strategic focus has been paired with a shift in how we work – gravitating increasingly toward direct support to countries in Africa. DIAL’s operational practices emphasize partnering with countries based on their own needs and aspirations, meeting governments where they are, participatory engagement, trusted partnership models, and strengthening institutional capacity rooted in local realities.

Project Description

DIAL has been leading a 2-year change management strategy (2024-2026) during which we established a new fiscal sponsorship relationship, established a strategic vision for impact in Africa; and shifted our staffing pattern to be further based in Africa. Based on multiple interactions and conversations with stakeholders, DIAL believes further rooting the organization in Africa is necessary to the success of supporting our vision of creating a healthy data sharing ecosystem across Africa.

DIAL plans to hire an external firm to not only ground truth this understanding but to lead DIAL in the selection process of the ideal structural configuration for DIAL to be optimally “Africa rooted”.

Scope of Work

DIAL looks to hire a consultant(s) to undertake the following:

1.     Strategic assessment: The consultant will work with DIAL to understand DIAL’s long-term strategy and implementation plan. The activities would include:

1. 1. Review DIAL strategy, implementation plan, communication and fundraising plan;
   2. Interview key stakeholders to include DIAL’s Board of Advisors, Senior Management Team, select donors;
   3. Review comparable organizations, etc.;
   4. Assess DIAL’s Africa-rooted localization objectives; and
   5. Define success criteria.
      

Deliverables: Institutional design framework and decision criteria for organizational evaluation

2.     Organizational model assessment: Assess potential institutional models including, and not limited to:

1. 1. Continuing DIAL’s fiscal sponsorship with CFG and African subsidiary
   2. Independent non-profit and African subsidiary
   3. African headquartered nonprofit
   4. For profit and non-profit arm
   5. Dual entity partnership
   6. Federated/networked regional model
   7. Other alternative models proposed by consultant
      

For each model, the consultant will evaluate:

• • • Donor funding requirements
    • Registration considerations
    • Financial implications
    • Compliance requirements to local laws and regulations
    • Funding considerations
    • Staffing and management needs

Deliverables: Optimal institutional design options report

Deliverables

1. 
   Inception report: The consultant will confirm DIAL’s strategic objectives for becoming an Africa-rooted organization. This report will provide a refined scope and establish the analytical framework that will guide the assessment of organizational models and agree on the methodology, stakeholder engagement plan, and decision-making process. It will also include final workplan with clear milestones and touch points for DIAL to feed into the analysis.
2. 
   Institutional design framework: Consultant will develop a framework that captures the most important aspects for consideration across multiple organizational structures.
3. 
   Decision-making rubric: The consultant will lead DIAL through a process laying out the optimal criteria to making a final organizational design rubric.
4. 
   Preliminary Options Report and Decision-Making Session: The consultant will deliver to DIAL an options report laying out final optimal options for DIAL’s future legal and organizational structure and suggested matching to the developed criteria. The consultant(s) will work with DIAL to narrow the focus to a maximum of three options for further research and analysis.
5. 
   Final Options Report: Based on the chosen options, the consultant will develop a more thorough analysis on the costs, benefits, drawbacks, and implications of each organizational model.

The following table reflects the anticipated deliverables and schedule required for this project.  Respondents may suggest amendments as part of their proposals, for approval prior to contracting.

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Deliverables/Outputs

Estimated Completion Date

1

Inception report

August 14, 2026

2

Institutional design framework

August 30, 2026

3

Decision-making rubric

August 30, 2026

4

Preliminary Options Report

September 8, 2026

5

Final Options Report

September 30, 2026

Period of Performance

Work will start on or around August 10, 2026, and should be completed by October 15, 2026. During this time, we anticipate a close working relationship with the chosen vendor.

Budget

The maximum allocated cost for this analysis is USD $40,000.

Submissions

Please submit the following materials in BambooHR by July 31, 2026:

• Proposal narrative (max 5 pages) describing:
  • Your approach and methodologies (as applicable),
  • Project management approach to include timeline and any updates to timeline provided above
  • Staff and team structure including roles and responsibilities, level of effort, and any subcontracted resources
  • Relevant experience demonstrating organization and key staff members’ experience relevant to the scope of work and at least 3 examples of similar past work
• CVs/resumes of key personnel
• Cost estimate:
  • Provide a detailed budget, including assumptions and costs and level of effort for staff and any sub-contractors
  • Provide separate line item for any sub-contractors
  • Provide expenses budget by type of expenses, e.g. travel, research, etc.
    Travel estimates should indicate the anticipated destination and duration of each trip
• At least two professional references (past clients or colleagues)

You may reach out to info@dial.global with any questions about this RFP or submission requirements.

Intent and Disclaimer

This RFP is made with the intent to identify a consultant to deliver results as described in this RFP. Issuance of this RFP does not obligate DIAL to award a resulting contract and any costs incurred in preparation of a proposal is the sole responsibility of the respondent.

In submitting a proposal, the respondent certifies that information contained therein is truthful and accurate to the best of the respondent’s ability. Should any information later be found to not be in-line with this certification, DIAL reserves the right to terminate any resulting contract(s) and/or select an alternative contractor. DIAL assumes it can be confident in the Consultant’s ability to deliver the product(s) and/or service(s) proposed in response to this RFP.

Evaluation Process

DIAL will review all written proposals and may request a phone or in-person interview and/or updated submission to address questions or provide clarification.